Superheating steam-engine



(No Model.)

J. E. SINCLAIR.

- SUPERHEATING STEAM ENGINE.

N0.-Z79,453. Patented June 12,1883.

INVENTORE I "fl yw a I BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. SINCLAIR, OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND.

SUPERHEATING STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,453, dated June 12,1883. Application filed January 29, 1883. (Nb model.)

To all whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JAMES EDWARD SINCLAIR,

of Baltimore county, State of Maryland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Superheating Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section, and Fig.2 is a top view.

My invention relates to an engine in which the steam is reheated afterit leaves the boiler, and its expansive force thus greatly increased.Heretofore separate superheating-chambers interposed between the boilerand cylinder have been used. My invention dispenses with separatesuperheating-chambers and superheats the steam in the cylinder in whichit is used, thus simplifying this class of engines and enabling me tocut off earlier in the stroke.

The improvements consists in combining the cylinder and a fire-box orfurnace, so that the heated wall of the furnace forms the side of thecylinder, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings I have shown one formof my invention, in which thefirebox is arranged concentrically within the cylinder.

A is the outer shell of the cylinder, formed with flanges a a, and B isthe inner shell of the cylinder, formed with flanges I). These twoshells are bolted by their flanges to the annular heads 0 O, of which 0constitutes the base, while 0 forms the top of the engine. The outershell, A, is formed with induction and exhaust ports a a, the passage ofsteam through which is controlled by a slide-valve, D, of the usualform. The inner periphery of the outer shell and the outer periphery ofthe inner shell are both turned to a true circle, and between is formedthe annular steam-space, in which slides the ring-shaped piston E. Thispiston is provided with two piston-rods, F F, which pass throughstuffing-boxes in the annular head 0, and connect with the maincrank-shaft, through which motion is transmitted to the valve-rod G.Inside the inner shell,.at the bottom, is arranged a grate, b while atthe top is an opening, a, forming a smoke-exit. It will therefore beseen that the chamber in the inner shell forms a furnace or fire-box,and this shell both forms the walls of the furnace and the side of thesteam-cylinder. When, therefore, steam is admitted to the annularsteam-chamber, it becomes superheated as soon as it comes in contactwith the hot walls of the furnace, and its expansive force is therebygreatly increased.

H is a steam-gage having pipes H, with check-valves leading to each endof the steamcylinder. Theobject of this gage is to indicate the workingpressure on the cylinder at each stroke of the piston.

I may also make use of the engine as thus described for forcing hot air,the air being heated by the furnace through which it may be made topass; and, again, I may take a part of the hot air from the furnace andintroduce it, along with the steam, into the steam-cylinder to increasethe useful effect, if desired.

Instead of using a furnace with grate-bars, I

may provide, as its equivalent, a battery of lamps or gas-jets toproduce the same effect. I can also cause the exhaust, or a partthereof, to enter the boiler, thereby lessening the cost of fuel forsame. I do not confine this invention to steam-engines alone, but mayuse it with hot air, gas, 850.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination of a steam-cylinder, an annular piston, and a centralfurnace, or its equivalent, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a steam-cylinder and a furnace, or its equivalent,as described, both arranged within the same outer case, with asteam-gage having a pipe leading to each end of the cylinder, todetermine the working pressure at eachstro ke, substantially as shownand described.

JAMES EDWVARD SINCLAIR.

